SERVPRO March

MARCH 2017

In this issue: 2-3. Strategic Planning Meeting 3.

SERVPRO® Focus for March is Game Plan 4. Words of Wisdom 5. One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Find more Networking Events 6. Chart Toppers, Top Ten Volume Leaders 7.

Personal Best Volume Month 8. How to Prosper in Tough Times 9.

Kudos 10. Introducing New Franchisee

SUN

THE

SERVPRO® of Southern New England and New York

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STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING KEY TAKE-AWAYS

Innovation’. This can be applied on a macro-scale to the entire Strategic Planning program. Applying the ‘law’, we expect approximately 20% of Franchises to initially fully-embrace the program. The expectation is if the innovators and early adaptors who embrace the program are successful; others I personally was particularly impressed by the Simon Simek (Early and Late Majorities) will see the value and participate. video presentation featuring the Law of Diffusion of Innovation Even if you are a new or low-revenue Franchise, we strongly and the Golden Circle analogy. This video clip, along with encourage you to adopt at least one element of strategic the meeting PowerPoint and Strategic Manual file link has planning to enhance your current operation, thus leading to been sent to you via Dropbox. We sincerely hope you utilize better and more efficient organizational development. We the information to strengthen your businesses. will be available to assist Franchisees prepared to embrace This month I am focusing on the ‘Law of Diffusion and any or this entire valuable program.

All of our Direct-Assigned Franchises have had an opportunity to attend a Strategic Planning Area Meeting at our Norwalk, Connecticut Training Facility. Though this was considered a mandatory meeting, we do appreciate your attendance.

MARCH 2017 - 3

On a micro level, the ‘law’ is validated in how we make marketing approaches, both electronically and personally.

For example, the reason so much website and social media emphasis is placed on testimonials, before-after pictures, and blogs is to demonstrate to potential contacts (Early and Late Majorities), someone (Innovators and Early Adaptors) has had a positive experience utilizing your service and or company.

This last group is hesitant to try something (referrals or directutilization) until they see someone else doing or using it first.

This principle or ‘law’ is also why personal introductions (at a networking event or lunch meetings) work better than just a simple referral. The ‘hand-off’ from someone familiar, trusting, and satisfied with you, your company, and your services to someone who might not otherwise consider you as a resource for referrals or direct work.

A second validation of the ‘law’ is evidenced when we

examine why some Franchises are able to place more ERPs than others are the ability to overcome disinterest, suspicion, and apathy on the part of a facility and property managers.

The successful SERVPRO® CMR innately understands that most decision-makers fall into one of the groups mentioned (Early and Late Majorities). The Innovators already have the program, but the others generally will only follow if they know someone else has embraced the Emergency READY Program (ERP) for their facility or facilities and had a successful experience after a loss because an ERP was in place.

In next month’s issue of The SUN, the focus will be on how to apply the Golden Circle Principle to promote your business and sell your services.

Larry Hackney Executive Vice President Franchise Business Consultant

SERVPRO® Focus for March is The Game Plan The Servpro Industries, Inc. focus for March is The Game Plan. In order to execute a great game plan, you have to have the necessary tools. Because of SERVPRO®, we all have the tools we need in terms of DryBook™ and WorkCenter™, both Office and Marketing. If these tools are used efficiently and effectively, your Franchise will see great success in its Game Plan.

Throughout March, each Franchise has attended the Strategic Planning meetings in Norwalk. When asked about utilizing WorkCenter™, the answers regarding usage have been mixed. The predominant response has been, “we use it when we need to;” in other words, for National Account work only.

the Xactimate estimate. If a job is local or self-pay, it is easier to create an estimate from a .pdf file generated from DBM than having to decipher handwriting that is not as clear as it should be. Think about the duplication of effort when the scope can be done once. What is the value of that time?

WorkCenter™ Marketing is another tool that will help with the Game Plan. “Soon”, there will be an additional tool, which will analyze the data in WCM and give feedback as to the effectiveness of your Franchise’s marketing efforts. If the data is not in WCM, it will provide zero feedback. Doesn’t it make sense to know if efforts are being rewarded in terms of volume?

In addition, if your Franchise is spending money on Google advertising, how can the Return on Investment (ROI) be measured? If data is entered into WCO and WCM, these are easy questions to answer!

WorkCenter™ Office and DryBook™ provide the tools to complete a job, pass the audit and shorten the time until the Franchise receives a check for the job. These tools provide a process that can be used for EVERY job, The Game Plan has been created. It is up to each Franchise Owner as they determine how to use these not just National Account jobs.

Take the guesswork out of the production crews’ tools to ensure their Game Plan is successful. process. Using DBM (in the field) and WCO will ensure that every job is processed the same way. Even with the addition of the Xactimate Integration, each job can be produced the same way up until it is time to create

Michelle Broggy Franchise Business Consultant QuickBooks Pro Advisor Certified Xactimate Training Specialist

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Words of Wisdom Thinking well to be wise: planning well, wiser: doing well wisest and best of all.

Malcolm Forbes Strategic planning is worthless - unless there is first a strategic vision.

John Naisbitt Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.

Winston Churchill Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike.

Alexander Hamilton In all planning you make a list and you set priorities.

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.

Alan Lakein Productivity is never an accident.

It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.

Paul J. Meyer Being busy does not always mean real work.

The object of all work is production or accomplishment, and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration.

Seeming to do is not doing.

Thomas A. Edison Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning.

Donald Rumsfeld Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.

Henry David Thoreau Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.

Gloria Steinem While their competition is asleep, world-class leaders are up – and they're not watching the news or reading the paper.

They are thinking, planning, and practicing.

Robin S. Sharma Meticulous planning will enable everything a man does to appear spontaneous.

Mark Caine Under capitalism, each individual engages in economic planning.

George Reisman Estate planning is an important and everlasting gift you can give your family.

And setting up a smooth inheritance isn't as hard as you might think.

Suze Orman There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

C. S. Lewis

MARCH 2017 - 5

One if by Land, Two if by Sea OSHA is Coming! OSHA is Coming!

Written by Robert Tedone, Franchise Business Consultant, Production Since the beginning of this year, I have been promoting the importance of Safety Training and at least a bare minimum compliance of OSHA regulations to show due diligence in four areas of your business.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Office Warehouse Vehicle Commercial loss

I encourage you to take and follow the information seriously, which I have either previously reviewed with you or will during my next scheduled Visitation.

If you need to speak with me prior your scheduled Visitation, please contact me.

Following Safe Work Practices does not generate revenue; however, non-compliance can be costly!

Injuries in the workplace or on the jobsite can completely disrupt the roduction of work as well as affect employee morale within your organization.

Fines, losing key employees for lengthy amounts of time, commercial jobs being shut down or delayed may give our competition the opportunity to step in and take over a project. The inclusion of eye protection, vests, and hard hats, when appropriate, in conjunction with properly worn uniforms and clean vehicles should be how your business is operated.

OSHA has visited some of our Franchise Offices and jobsites in the past, most recently the week of March 20, 2017, looking for proper safety documentation.

We encourage you to comply strictly with all OSHA regulations and standards; train your staff and ensure you have compliance documentation in each of your personnel files.

I hope you do not have the philosophy ‘IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME’!

Find More Networking Events Written by Lori Villardi-Yoran, Franchise Business Consultant, Sales & Marketing There are a lot more opportunities than just the local chamber of commerce.

Think outside the box, ask around, and check out this list to get you thinking: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Chambers of Commerce Business Networking Groups Mastermind Groups Meetup.com Groups Charity Events School Board Meetings High School Sports Games Local Youth Sports Events City Government And check out local event sites like Eventbrite, Eventful, and Patch.com

Use LinkedIn to Follow Up LinkedIn is a perfect low-effort tool for forging stronger relationships with people you meet at networking events (or anywhere else).

There is no social stigma against requesting a connection on LinkedIn from someone you met and with whom you have a conversation.

A LinkedIn connection is not the end goal, in fact, it is really just the beginning but it is a great first step toward developing a deeper professional connection with anyone.

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Chart Toppers

SERVPRO® Chart Toppers December 2016 Cleaning Commercial

D. Kluger O’Donnell

Fire Residential

Luciani

Mold Residential

D. Kluger

Rookie

Kilmeade Uhl

Subcontract

Sepe

Total Volume

D. Kluger

If you learn to respond [to this day] as if it were the first day in your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.

David Steindl-Rast

Top Ten Volume Leaders PER LICENSE AVERAGE VOLUME LEADERS February 2017

GROSS VOLUME LEADERS February 2017 1,214,910

1

Robert Citrangola

607,455

Dave & Gina Kluger

718,814

2

Dion & Lynn Luzzi

357,224

3

Dion & Lynn Luzzi

714,449

3

Lisa and Doug Jameson

317,551

4

Greg Geaski

552,233

4

Greg Geaski

276,116

5

Frank Mattos

521,051

5

Ralph & Noemi DiCristofaro

248,225

6

Ralph & Noemi DiCristofaro

496,450

6

James Gibbs

214,540

7

Allen & Susan Randolph

462,318

7

Antonio Senese

210,085

8

Lou & Michelle Sepe, J. Sepe and D. Yurka, N. Travis

413,914

8

Richard & Shannon Delfino

198,753

9

Risa Kluger

372,134

9

Risa Kluger

186,067

364,214

10

Mitch Kaikow & Stuart Cleary

184,151

1

Robert Citrangola

2

10 James & Michele Wandtke

MARCH 2017 - 7

Personal Best Volume Month February 2017 Robert Citrangola

SERVPRO® of Midtown Manhattan #8216 SERVPRO® of Southern Staten Island #9410

$1,214,910.70

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HOW TO PROSPER IN TOUGH TIMES We hear from Franchise Owners, over and over, that “IT” is not working! Their SMR is ineffective (or is it the Owner?) They don’t understand why “IT” is not working… business is slow, and profits are down and...blah blah blah. Yet these same Owners are examples of the “how to waste time and money and then complain about IT is not working” group of underachievers.

created a Marketing Culture within their Franchise Organization, which leaves no stone unturned nor opportunity lost.

These Owners obsess! They obsess over marketing, the purpose of which is to drive profitable business.

Successful Owners get IT! They understand marketing is an INVESTMENT and not an EXPENSE for their business. They obsess over the numbers, know their HOW TO WASTE TIME AND MONEY: costs, and have their finances under control. They 1.

Do not coach your Team obsess over their customer’s needs and wants and 2.

Do not go out with your SMR at a minimum of make sure that they deliver on their promises. They

twice per month know if the customer cannot get what they want from 3.

Do not attend Lunch and Learn or CE class them, they will go elsewhere to a competitor. events So, do you not only want to survive but to 4.

Do not invest in Training become actually wildly successful in these tough It is all about Training….and if you think Training is times? Then obsess over your marketing, training, expensive…don’t Train and see what it costs! Staying your numbers, and most importantly, your customers’ ahead of the Training Curve = Sustainability, Growth needs and wants, and you will prosper! and improved Profitability. Some direct benefits of Lou Ramu proactively managing your Training needs include Franchise Business Consultant improved employee morale, sustainability, expansion, Administration and growth! One of the greatest assets of a good Franchise is the people in the organization and one of the biggest challenges in your Franchise is the people in your organization. Your people need to be able to adapt quickly to change. From equipment to software, your commitment to “Train Your Team” can ultimately determine your ability to utilize the latest technology and tools to meet the standards of service necessary to be competitive and stay on the top!

The “Winter that Wasn’t” is enough to make even the most positive among us feel downright depressed.

Teddy Roosevelt is noted to have said this - “If you are going through hell….keep going!” Yes, these are tough times! As Franchise Owners in the restoration industry, you have no choice but to keep going despite the constant barrage of confused economic news and no significant weather events. What to do? “It” is all about attitude and actions.

What is the greatest characteristic of truly successful Franchisees? They have differentiated themselves from the rest of the pack in both attitude and actions.

They don’t follow the crowd! Instead, engaged Owners know it is their job to find the business and make it happen. They lead by example and have

MARCH 2017 - 9

Risa Kluger, Owner of SERVPROÂŽ of Port Jefferson and Don Flandrau, a critical member to our SERVPROÂŽ team!

edback /Important Fe u ra d n la F D : Subject

u is r Don Flandra e b m e m a l a ow critic re you know h Risa, su ugh. ke a m to te n, it is not eno k no a ic m u q is is th th g n d yi n a you are p was at I needed to se ro. Whatever uch and Don p to rv e in S s t u a t u m p a e, to your te one was polit -Jan - AllState ry id ve m E . in d im e h w d o e overfl tes behin shing machin team 30 minu is H ll. ca e When our wa th f o in 60 minutes the house with elpful. h nd incredibly professional a " old prevention ove. b "m a e t th cu t a a , th is s u d an oked Ensuring But Don was, r the carpet lo ep of the way. e st d n u ch a le e ti s e u th n te ith AllState. O way to educa children. That w g is n h n u o f o p yo t r u -u u o w o t n r llo He we n issue fo item to fo cess. d may be an anic and not a n a rg o s, s o a st w the claims pro e y sb in a ra xt f sp e o n e g d a in n m be happe was likely d what would n to be 9x9 and a y tl n e rr cu pening what was hap own. hope as if it was his e su is r e sense that I u th o d in t te a a e th tr n e a h e and I m Simply put, e him again se to d te n a w r again. ay that I neve want call to Servpro a s e I told him tod ir u q e's the man I h re t g a in th w o m n k le b ly ro nd with and direct to avoid the p e right way, a Don instantly th ll e n ca o d ld e u b o w ld I se, w, it wou ould be. blem does ari Because I kno . rt o ff e But if that pro day as they sh n o to ti t n ra le o st va e re /r p p ean-u et t aren't as leading the cl t Don is an ass Two things tha a . th m : w lis o a n n k io y ss d ne an you alrea care and profe ord, and as fi ave no doubt w h e I t th a f h o w f se o n r de every se is just a remin professional in te lu so b So again, this a n a ur team. He's for. to you and yo you could ask s a ro p rv e S r ambassador fo nd the ents on him a m m ! e co is re ra o a m n to share Give that ma ould I be able sh ll ca a e m e hesitate to giv ork with.

Please do not su plea re to w a n e e b ve y' e team, th All my best, D. Saslowsky

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INTRODUCING NEW FRANCHISEE RESALE TO NEW FRANCHISE OWNER Jeff & Carol Bezick

SERVPRO of Greater Hunterdon County #10654 15 Minneakoning Road, Unit 203 Flemington, NJ 08822 ®

Phone: 908-788-8770 Fax: 908-788-8767 E-Mail: jbezick@servpro10654.com Operating Territory: The bounded area in that portion of Hunterdon County, NJ that lies within the boundary lines that are described exactly as the entire Townships of Lebanon, Tewksbury, Clinton, Readington, Franklin, Raritan, East Amwell, Kingwood, West Amwell and Delaware. Also to include Boroughs of Califon, High Bridge, Lebanon, Flemington, Frenchtown and Stockton as well as the City of Lambertsville.